The present invention relates to an interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag.
Automotive vehicles are generally equipped with an airbag device to protect a passenger against a vehicle crash, turnover or the like. A curtain bag is known as an airbag of the airbag device, which inflates longitudinally so as to cover an inner face of a side window portion that comprises plural side window glasses, pillars and so on.
A seatbelt anchor may be provided at the inner face of the pillar to be covered by the curtain airbag. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,361,069 B1 discloses a structure in which the seatbelt anchor is provided so as to project inside from the center pillar trim that forms the inner face of the center pillar. Herein, the projecting potion (inflation-direction regulator portion) is provided at a specified portion of the center pillar trim above the seatbelt anchor, which restrains the curtain airbag inflating from catching on the seatbelt anchor.
US Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0150198 A1, meanwhile, discloses a structure in which the curtain airbag is provided inside not only the ceiling but the rear pillar. Herein, the curtain airbag is configured to inflate out of the gap between the front edge portion of the rear pillar trim and the side window glass, which is generated by pressing the front edge portion of the rear pillar inward by the curtain airbag.
The rear pillar trim is generally made of synthetic resin that is harder than a material of the roof trim that forms an inner face of the ceiling. This is because the rear pillar trim may not be hurt improperly by a loaded baggage or the like.
In the meantime, it is preferable that the curtain airbag be configured to provide a tension that extends longitudinally when its inflation is complete, for example, in order to improve the passenger's protection at the vehicle turnover or the like. Also, it may be considered that inflatable gas is supplied to the curtain airbag from a specified location in front of the center pillar in order to secure the proper protection of passengers seated in the front seats.
Herein, in a case where the seatbelt anchor is provided at the inner face of the center pillar as described above and the curtain airbag is provided to inflate out of the gap between the rear pillar trim and the side window glass as disclosed in the latter patent publication, the provision of the tension extending longitudinally may cause the following problem. Namely, while the above-described gap is located outward from the inner face of the center pillar in a general vehicle structure, the curtain airbag inflates downward contacting the inner face of the center pillar when the inflatable gas is supplied to the curtain airbag from the specified location in front of the center pillar (see FIG. 15). Accordingly, there is a concern that the curtain airbag may catch on the seatbelt anchor during its inflation.
The above-described patent publications do not disclose any this problem and its solutions.